As cancer treatments become increasingly personalized and complex, the value of real-world evidence (RWEF) has grown significantly. To better understand how oncologists are integrating RWEF into their clinical decision-making processes, we surveyed 50 Canadian and 100 American oncologists. The results highlight not only the growing importance of RWEF in practice, but also key areas where pharmaceutical companies can play a more active and sustained role.
The majority of oncologists surveyed—86% in Canada and 90% in the United States—reported using clinical practice modeling (CPM) at least occasionally to guide their treatment decisions. Among them, more than half of Canadian oncologists (56%) and half of American oncologists (50%) reported using it often or almost always. This suggests that real-world data have become an essential component of routine clinical decision-making and presents an opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to ensure that the CPMs they generate are not only rigorous but also directly relevant to clinical practice.
Overall, oncologists believe this reliance on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is closely linked to the increasing complexity of cancer care. A vast majority—92% of Canadian oncologists and 89% of American oncologists—agree that PROs have gained importance as treatment regimens have become more sophisticated and complex. Furthermore, 84% of Canadian respondents and 86% of American respondents state that PROs now play an increasingly important role in their own clinical practice.
Oncologists cite several reasons beyond efficacy for using clinical trial data. Many use them to guide decision-making in specific clinical scenarios or for indications not fully covered by clinical trial data. Others use them to assess the safety and tolerability of treatments in real-world settings, outside the controlled environments of trials. A smaller, but still significant, group states that clinical trial data helps them interpret clinical guidelines and make diagnoses with greater confidence.
Although their importance is growing, it is worth highlighting the challenges oncologists face when using clinical research protocols (CRPs). Data interpretation emerges as a major concern, cited by 76% of Canadian oncologists and 81% of American oncologists. Many also emphasize potential challenges related to the quality of available data (74% in Canada and 77% in the United States). Access is another obstacle: nearly three-quarters of Canadian respondents and more than two-thirds of American respondents report difficulty obtaining adequate access to CRPs.
For stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry, these results serve as both validation and a call to action. Demand for relevant patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is high, and the potential for clinical impact is significant. However, to maximize this impact, pharmaceutical companies must invest in the clarity, quality, and accessibility of PRO resources. This involves not only improving data collection methodologies and transparency but also ensuring that data is delivered in a way that is understandable and actionable for clinicians.
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